1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a device for the intake or manipulation of a fluid, such as a liquid, having a carrier, a cover film and a chamber formed between the carrier and the cover film, and a method of producing a device of this kind.
2. Description of Related Art
The present invention preferably relates to microfluidic systems or devices. The remarks that follow refer particularly to devices in which capillary forces come into play and are crucial to the operation, in particular.
Microfluidic devices are known having chambers, in particular, in the form of channels, which are at least partially delimited by a three-dimensionally shaped film, and in particular, are elastically deformable or compressible. Chambers or channels of this kind make it possible to take in and manipulate, more particularly convey, mix or deliver liquids.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,902,706 B1 discloses a valve for controlling a liquid in an analysis chip. The valve has a first and a second channel which emerge at a distance from one another on the top of a plate-shaped carrier. The openings at the exit end are covered by a film. To open the valve, the liquid is put under pressure so as to deform the film three-dimensionally and thus form a connection between the openings. There is nothing to indicate that the film is three-dimensionally preformed. Therefore, there is also nothing to indicate that the film is preformed three-dimensionally solely by the lamination process.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0076068 A1 discloses microfluidic structures consisting of substantially rigid membranes. In a plate-shaped substrate, open channels are arranged on a flat side. A first channel end and a second channel end are arranged at a distance from one another and are not joined together. The substrate is laminated with a film which has a region that is not connected to the substrate, and encompasses the first and second ends of the channel. When forces are applied to the film it deforms three-dimensionally and liquid flows from the first into the second channel. A film that has been three-dimensionally preformed by the lamination process is not disclosed.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/00570303 A1 discloses a device for transporting liquid in bio-chips having a three-dimensionally shaped structure made of film. There is no indication that the three-dimensional shaping is achieved by laminating the film on.
International Patent Application Publication WO 02/068823 A1 discloses microfluidic control means which may be used as one-way valves. The valves are formed by a laminate of five layers. The laminate layers form an inlet channel with a valve seat, and an outlet channel which is separated from the inlet channel by a flexible membrane. The flexible membrane has an opening which is arranged against the valve seat. As substance flows in the inlet channel, the membrane is pressed against the valve seat towards the outlet channel and the opening is closed. When the flow is in the reverse direction, the membrane is deflected from the valve seat towards the inlet channel and the valve is opened. There are no references to membranes that have been preformed three-dimensionally by the lamination process alone.
International Patent Application Publication WO 2005/060432 A2 discloses a cassette for analysis purposes. A valve has a flexible material which is lifted away from a barrier at a certain pressure so as to form a passage. There is no disclosure of any flexible material which is three-dimensionally preformed solely by the lamination.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,354 relates to a method of producing an air-cushioned film. A heated thermoplastic film is drawn through the holes of a perforated substrate which has previously been laminated onto the film. The bubble-like structures formed are then closed by laminating another thermoplastic film onto the existing laminate.